When the Lightening Strikes
by GiannaG
Summary: Avery is Artemis Fowl's worst nightmare: beautiful, brilliant, and deadly, and they're both after the same thing. Will they learn to work together to unravel the secrets of the fairy race, or will both prepare for all out war? Artemis x OC ON HIATUS/REWRITING
1. The Book

**_Author's Note: Hey guys, thanks for giving this story a shot! Just a disclaimer, I obviously did not write the real Artemis Fowl, so any quotes or characters from the serious belong solely to the wonderful Eoin Colfer. Avery, however, is entirely my own creation. :) I'd really appreciate some reviews, cause when I don't get any compliments or criticism I get discouraged and stop writing! So let me know what you think! 3 Gianna_**

Avery grimaced as she felt another bead of sweat slide down her spine. Ho Chi Minh City was comparable to an oven during this time of the summer. The young girl was nestled in a small cubbyhole in the wall of one of the marketplace buildings. She had scouted the location the night before and had almost missed the small niche. It was three stories up, hidden behind an old marble column, and directly across the street from the curbside cafe where Artemis Fowl and his large Eurasian servant, Butler, were currently sitting.

She had been following the pair for months to no avail, and after the last dead-end clue in Cairo, she was almost ready to give up. She knew that wasn't an option though, not when she was so close. Avery fondled the seven-point star that hung around her neck. There was too much at stake to lose her motivation now. She forced herself to concentrate as a middle-aged man approached Fowl's table, and she suppressed a chuckle as the young genius saw right through the newcomer's pathetic disguise of being a waiter. "For god's sake you're wearing gold rings, handmade loafers, and a silk shirt. You are SO not a waiter," she mumbled to herself. It had to be their informant, Nguyen Xuan.

Avery refocused her binoculars so she could read the men's lips, one of the many useful skills she had picked up over the years.

"Let me fill you in on the weapons status," Artemis was saying. Avery watched very intently as he continued, "I am unarmed, but Butler here, my ah...butler, has a Sig Sauer in his shoulder holster, two shrike throwing knives in his boots, a derringer two-shot up his sleeve, garrote wire in his watch, and three stun grenades concealed in various pockets. Anything else Butler?"

"The cosh sir," the giant replied.

"Oh yes, a good old ball bearing cosh stuffed down his shirt."

Avery swallowed. That was more than even she kept on her, and she kept a lot. She felt for the two HK USP Match pistols strapped to either thigh, the KA-BAR combat knife slipped in her boot, and the shrike throwing knife tied to her wrist. Looking at the mountain of a man who could definitely snap a man's backbone like a twig with his mammoth hands, she suddenly wished she'd worn a thicker bullet proof vest and brought her sniper rifle too.

Avery scolded herself for getting off task again. The heat must be getting to me, she thought. Finally, the Fowl boy said the words she'd been waiting for. "And now to business. You answered our web advertisement." Nguyen was clearly nervous, but to his credit he managed to stammer out, "Yes, Mister...Master Fowl. What you're looking for...I know where it is."

"Really? And am I supposed to take your word for this? You could be walking me straight into an ambush. My family is not without enemies," the boy responded.

Avery zoomed her binoculars in as Nguyen passed Artemis a Polaroid. She was too far to see what it was of, but she trusted the boy genius's ability to identify whether it was a fraud or not.

"This woman, she is a healer near Tu Do Street. She works in exchange for rice wine; all the time, drunk," Nguyen explained.

Avery nodded. It made sense, the drinking. One of the few consistent facts her research had unearthed.

Artemis stood, pulling the creases from his white polo. He's hotter than I expected him to be, Avery thought, in a kind of nerdy, devious way.

"Very well. Lead on, Mister Xuan."

Nguyen anxiously declined. "Information only, that was the agreement. I don't want any curses on my head."

Avery knew what she would do in this situation, and she was glad to see Butler didn't disappoint. He expertly gripped the informant behind the neck and said, "I'm sorry, Mister Xuan, but the time when you had a choice in matters is long past."

They were on the move. Avery quickly slid out of her cramped hiding place and lithely climbed down to the street. She shook the dust off her khaki cargo pants and white tank top, quickly pulled her hair into a braid, and wrapped a royal blue scarf around her head and face. Her eyes never left her targets as they maneuvered over to a nearby four-wheel drive. Avery rolled her eyes. That kind of car was hardly necessary on the flat streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Drama queens.

She grabbed a nearby moped, preferring to blend in with the other teenagers riding the streets. Every second that passed made Avery's heart pound harder and faster. She had followed Artemis and Butler on six false alarms across three continents, and now she was finally going to be rewarded.

The traffic crawled at a painfully slow pace. There wasn't a single alley or doorway that wasn't crowded with people. Eventually, the streets grew too narrow for the illogical four-wheel drive. Avery watched as the three men climbed out. The one thousand other people in the alley were both a blessing and a curse. Sure they made Artemis harder to follow, but they were excellent camouflage. Unfortunately, a pickpocket attempted to steal Butler's wallet, and the manservant broke the man's fingers without looking down. The people stayed a good distance away after that, so Avery was forced to attempt to stay in the shadows of the rickety buildings lining the road. Finally, the group stopped when the alley narrowed to a rutted lane. Avery wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying and they all had their backs to her, so she couldn't read their lips.

Nguyen pointed toward a dark hole underneath a rusted fire escape. She's under there, Avery thought. She observed as Artemis carefully made his way around cripples and beggars to peer into the small entryway under the fire escape. He turned to Butler. "Butler, could you hand me the goggles?"

"Night vision," Avery whispered, "Smart boy." She didn't bother getting closer. She didn't need to see the old woman, or old fairy to be more specific, she just needed to be sure Artemis got what the sprite had, and she knew he would get it the same way she would have, through deceit. She waited patiently.

Finally, she saw a mottled green hand reach past the shadows to drop something into Artemis's open palm. Avery held her breath. Butler pulled out a digital camera and began taking pictures of what appeared to be...yes it was! A small golden book. Avery smiled, with the secrets in that fairy's Book, the whole fairy race would eventually be revealed to her.


	2. Translation

**_Hey, guys! So first of all, and most importantly, I would LOVE to thank wolfy and Nameless Andie for their reviews! It is very much appreciated, and it encouraged me to sit down and write another chapter. Granted this one is a bit tedious, but necessary for the plot line to continue. :) Please continue to review, I really love hearing your input, ideas, and criticism! 3 Gianna_**

**_PS. Artemis is 15 in this story! I know, I know I changed it, but it's necessary I promise!_**

Avery had done a great deal of research while she was preparing for this mission, and there was a lot of information that she knew. She knew that the Butler family had been serving the Fowls for centuries. She knew how they were trained, as well as how hard it would be to defeat one. She knew that the current Butler had been guarding young Master Artemis for fifteen years, since the moment of his birth.

She also knew about the fairy People and their Book, which was very much like their Bible, containing the history of their race and the commandments that governed their lives. Of course, she knew the book would be written in Gnommish, the fairy language, and would be of no use to any human.

Avery knew all these things, but she wasn't overly concerned. Partially because she herself was well-trained in marksmanship and a customized blend of martial arts, not to mention her knowledge or weaponry, medicine, and survival skills. Perhaps it was her vanity speaking, but she was pretty sure she could take on a Butler and live to tell the tale. The Gnommish barrier didn't worry her unduly either. You see, Avery was a savant, a master of languages. She could read, write, and speak thirteen different languages by the time she was 12 years old. She currently had twenty she could speak fluently in her repertoire, so she was confident she could translate Gnommish too. With this translation, would come the exploitation of a whole new group of creatures, along with, hopefully, some answers to her own past.

Yes, Avery was a very impressive young girl. But all her skills combined couldn't buy her patience or conventional social skills. On that front, it seemed she was hopeless, but she didn't mind. She was far too busy breaking boys' jaws to worry about breaking their hearts.

And when she had seen Artemis's call on the Web for any businessman who could introduce him to a fairy, sprite, leprechaun, or pixie, she knew she finally had her lead. The responses he received, and she followed, had been mostly fraudulent, but Ho Chi Minh City had finally paid off. Yet there was another obstacle blocking her way.

For all research Avery had done and all the information she knew, she never expected the security facing her at Fowl Manor. She had stealthily followed Butler and his young client all the way to the main gates of the estate.

There were huge stone walls surrounding the property, and the gate, she could clearly see, was made from electrified steel. The land around the manor was completely flat, giving an intruder no place to hide.

"Shit," Avery mumbled. She could do it, but it sure as hell wasn't going to be easy. She couldn't see the cameras or the state-of-the-art security system from where she stood, but she knew it was there. She watched as Butler performed so many security checks that she couldn't help but giggle a bit to herself at the absurdity. Finally, the pair entered the dwelling, and after a few moments Avery saw, through a large bay window, Artemis walking upstairs.

It was early morning, and she probably had about forty-five minutes before it started getting light out. It was her one window of opportunity. Quickly, she grabbed her grappling hook out of her black messenger bag. Throwing it over the large wall, she tugged hard making sure that the hook was secure. Avery picked up her bag, and began scaling, making sure to keep close to the wall to avoid being seen. When she was on the other side she made her way slowly across the lawn. Not only was the yard flat, but it was long too. Avery crawled through the property using the oak trees scattered across the property for cover.

Steadily creeping across the ground, she finally made it to the large stone manor. She immediately and forcefully ripped the video camera hanging above her out of the wall and clamped a video clip onto the exposed wire. Kneeling in the shadows of the huge building, Avery opened her laptop, and after accessing a few programs was substituting Artemis's video footage with a loop. He would never even know she was there. After the loop was established, Avery put her laptop away and grabbed the grappling hook. She was going to have to get higher up if she stood a chance of throwing the tool over the top ledge of the manor. She edged along the property until she came to a large window resting about nine feet above her head. Carefully running straight towards the wall, she kicked off and used her momentum to grab the window ledge. When she climbed to the top of the sill she reached for the next window, until finally, she was close enough to throw the hook. She felt the tug that signaled that the tool had made contact and the intruder made her way to the walkway running along the top of the estate. Once there, Avery grabbed a paper clip and a tension wrench out of her bag. Not exactly high tech, but it would do the trick. With the help of her lock-picking tools, the large wooden door on the guard tower entrance was open in minutes.

Avery made her way down the dark stairwell until she came to a door. She listened carefully to make sure the hallway was clear, and her loop hadn't been discovered, before she picked the lock on this door as well.

She was in a hallway on the second floor. _Alright, now how to get to his study_, she thought. She paused and listened as hard as she could. Three doors down on the left hand side there was movement. _Well, hopefully that's it._ She spotted a large ventilation shaft high on the wall.

_You've got to be kidding me._ Avery groaned as she tried to silently pry the grid off the wall and climb in. Well, you can't get more cliché than this. She thanked God that the loop had held up this long and edged her way toward what she believed to be Artemis's study. When she got to her destination she peeked through the grid of the vent, and sure enough, there was the young genius consumed with whatever information was flitting across his computer screen. He must be working on decoding the book. Avery smiled. Surely a genius like him could get it right?

She watched as he tried English, Chinese, Greek, Arabic, Cyrillic, and Ogham, not even coming close. He was obviously frustrated, and when a pretty blonde girl came in with sandwiches he rudely sent her scurrying away. Finally, he seemed to have a breakthrough when he tried Egyptian hieroglyphics. At least, Avery assumed he had a breakthrough because he began to furiously type away at his computer, and pages began to print rapidly from the printer.

Hours had gone by since Avery had first entered the air vent, and it seemed that more time was still to pass as Artemis hadn't yet fully reconstructed the Gnommish language yet. Her stomach rumbled with hunger and her eyes sagged with fatigue, but she had endured worse situations than this, so Avery buckled down and waited.

Finally, she watched as Artemis, fingers shaking from exhaustion and excitement, clicked Print. A single page scrolled from the LaserWriter. He switched on a desk light and began to read, much to Avery's relief, aloud.

**The Booke of the People.**

**Being Instructions to our magicks and life rules.**

**Carry me always, carry me well. I am thy teacher of herb and spell. I am thy link to power arcane. Forget me and thy magick shall wane. Ten times ten commandments there be. They will answer every mystery. Cures, curses alchemy. These secrets shall be thine, through me. But, Fairy, remember this above all. I am not for those in mud that crawl. And forever doomed shall be the one, who betrays my secrets one by one.**

Avery wanted to cry. She had them. They would be powerless beneath her. She would soon know every secret. The exhaustion was beginning to set in though, yet Artemis still had forty-three more pages to translate. She watched as he pressed a button, and all of a sudden his voice was echoing through speakers all over the house. "Butler. Get Juliet and come up here. There are some jigsaws I need you to assemble."

Avery sighed. This could take all night, or was it day now? She fought the sleep that pushed against her head and eyes, but finally succumbed and let the exhaustion overtake her.


	3. Awakening

***A/N Hey guys! If you read this could you let me know what you think so far of the story? It's so discouraging when I don't get reviews!**

Avery woke up to the whirring of computers. She attempted to stretch out her limbs that were unbearably stiff from sleep and immobility, but quickly realized she was tightly packed into a small vent and closely surrounded by four metal walls. It took her a moment to remember where she was.

_Oh yes, I'm in a ventilator shaft in the middle of Fowl Manor, home of one of the most legendary criminal families for generations, who employ large body guards who are paid to rip the heads off of intruders like me. What an excellent place for a nap, _she scolded herself.

The teenage girl quickly cut off her inner sarcastic pity party and paid attention to what was going on in the room below her. She knew what Artemis's ultimate objective was. Gold. And although this wasn't her number one priority, she would be silly to not take advantage of whatever fortune the fairy people did possess.

Through the grate in the shaft she could see that at least five networked Apple Macs were up and running in various corners of the room. One of which was running a continuous stream of information straight from CNN's Web site through a DAT projector. She could see the images on the wall in front of her. _Curious_, Avery thought,_ perhaps he just likes to up to date on current affairs…but much more likely he's hoping for news of his missing father_, a detail Avery had picked up in her hours of research. She felt a pang of guilt and empathy. She knew what it was like to grow up without a parent. The feeling quickly subsided though. She didn't get to be where she was by feeling bad for people.

The room was vacant besides the computers, and considering the fact that she hadn't been forcefully ripped from the air vent by Butler, she assumed her video loop was still working. Avery wiggled just enough to be able to grab the combat knife in her boot. Luckily, she was small or it would have been an impossible task. Wedging the knife into the sides of the grate, she maneuvered just precisely enough to pry it off its hinges.

She landed, cat-like, on the Persian carpet below her, and wasted no time in grabbing the copy of the translated book that Artemis had left so carelessly on the desk. _He still thinks he's in the safe stages of his plan_, Avery thought. _He has no idea that there's more than one enemy._

Avery had stolen the book and climbed back into the air vent before ten seconds had passed. She was rearranging the grate, when all hell broke loose.

The first thing that happened was a loud shout echoed through the manor, "IT'S A LOOP! WE'RE BEING FED A LOOP!" _Crap…well now seems like a good time to get out of here._

She had almost completely turned her body around when she heard the study door slam open. She knew what would come next. Hastily she began army-crawling through the vent. _If I could just find an exit…_

Avery had managed to make it to another grate leading into the house when she heard a metallic clang, and Artemis' voice call out, "Butler, the ventilation systems!"

She fumbled for her knife, and in the knick of time managed to pry off the grate. She didn't bother to reattach it; the voices were getting nearer and nearer. She was right above the master staircase, near the front entrance. She'd have to risk it.

Even though she was sprinting, her feet didn't make a sound as they hit each step. She had reached the front door. Almost there...Shit! The door had an interior lock, and couldn't be opened without a key. Avery didn't have time to get out her lock picking kit either. She spun around and began running down another hallway. There! She had almost passed it, a back door next to the kitchen. Her hand reached out to grab the knob, but not before she felt the cold metal of a gun press into her back.


	4. Exposure

**_A/N Hey guys! I'm posting another chapter because I got at least one review, haha. (Thanks Oblivious to the Obvious! You're the best!) Any comments on plot of even the structure of the writing is greatly appreciated!_**

This was certainly not how Avery had predicted her little adventure going. Instead of breaking into Fowl Manor and easily making off with the Book and the secrets of the entire Fairy culture, she was now tied to, what looked to be, a mahogany kitchen chair, and the ropes were tied so tightly they were beginning to cut into her skin.

_"Nice try."_ As soon as she had felt that gunmetal to her back she knew she was out of luck. Beneath her black polyester vest she was wearing a bullet-proof copy, but at such close range it probably wouldn't do much against, what Avery assumed was, Butler's Sig Sauer. She slowly raised her arms to surrender, but when Butler went to grab her hands to tie them, she spun around to deliver a nice right hook to his face. Of course, that little stunt earned her a smash from her opponent's large gun. Butler had grabbed her arm too quickly, and she was being tied to that chair before she could even say, _"Shit."_

The young girl grimaced, not from pain, but at the realization that she was wearing such a stereotypical burglar outfit. Her black draped pants of course were more than just cute, they were easy to move around in and great camouflage. Same went for her black high-top sneakers. Covering her face with a black gas mask was an obvious accessory for protection, and she never left home without her favorite Sector Nine BHNC gloves. Complete with neoprene insets for comfort, reflective taping, anti-vibration foam in the palm, and Kevlar at the finger tips for durability, they were her secret weapon for hauling ass and covering it.

Her weapons didn't last long, but that was to be expected. The giant Eurasian manservant ripped her boots off to confiscate her combat knife, and the shrike throwing knife was lost quickly after. He almost hesitated to check for the pistols, but her pants quickly became shorts as he tore the fabric and grabbed the weapons.

There it was. That slight moment of hesitation she was expecting. He hadn't anticipated her being a woman, and a very small, very young one at that. His falter lasted for only half a second however, before he started to reach for her mask.

"No, Butler. I would like to be the one to unmask this cunning, yet not quite cunning enough, thief."

The boy had snuck into the room so silently, so stealthily, that Avery had to make sure he was really there and not just a delusion caused by the high pressure situation.

He certainly was dramatic. That much was obvious. The young heir took his time walking over to her chair, and it felt like ten minutes had passed before he finally, cautiously, removed her mask.

To the untrained eye, his expression looked completely neutral. He didn't allow surprise to register on his features, but she saw it. The small eye-widening. It gave her captors away every time.

Before any of those present could speak, the pretty blonde girl, who had offered Artemis sandwiches the night before, was prancing into the room. She stopped abruptly when she saw Avery. "I was literally gone two hours! How do I manage to miss everything!" Butler rolled his eyes_. Perhaps a younger sister?_ Avery wondered. Standing side by side though, there was no denying it. They were definitely related.

"Hey Arty, she kind of looks like you. What with the hair and eyes and everything." The girl said. "Ridiculous," Artemis replied, "beside those obvious and elementary observations Juliet, our features have absolutely nothing in common."

They were both right, in a way. Avery did have similar dark hair, but her's was a shade lighter, just bordering on being completely black. Granted her eyes were also blue, but lighter than Artemis's; her's resembled the sky, whereas his looked like blue violets.

The party was snapped out of this revelation when Artemis said, "Did you get the Book back Butler?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now if you wouldn't mind telling me your name? Or shall I continue to address you like a Neanderthal?"

Avery's only reply was a sharp glare.

"Very well. I'll be able to know in a short period of time anyway. I was just hoping we could avoid those hours of tedious research work. After all, I respect how far you've come, and I'm certainly interested in what such a worthy adversary's name is."

He was playing games. Avery knew it. He was already walking out of the room. She sighed.

"My name is Avery Cuccia." She said. She knew what would come next.

"Cuccia...I'm guessing as in a descendant of the Sicilian Mafia boss? Appropriate. Perhaps your skills are genetic, though I doubt it."

He sounded so condescending. If Avery could have slapped him she would have.

"Avery, however isn't Italian. It comes from the Norman French form meaning 'elf counsel'. Even more appropriate! Now, Avery, what could you possibly want with such a worthless book, filled with what is obviously a bunch of childish nonsense?"

Avery smirked. "What? I had been hoping it had been valuable, so I thought to grab it on my way out. What is it? Your journal?" Playing dumb had worked in the past, but she didn't think for one second that it was fooling the boy genius.

"Avery, let's stop pretending for a second. We both know exactly how valuable the information inside this Book is. The only problem is now that I know how knowledgeable you are, you've become a completely new variable, and I'm not sure what to do with you. Any ideas?"

She was silent.

"Very well, Butler, do with her whatever you see fit." She could see it. The guilt in his eyes. She had always been so adept at reading people, and she could tell that he didn't really want to hurt her. She could play to that.

"I know how to find one."

Artemis stopped. "Excuse me?"

"A fairy. I know how you could locate one."


	5. How to Catch a Fairy

**A/N So it might not seem like much to other people...but I got two more reviews! Haha I can't even explain to both iluvcoffee123 and Oblivious to the Obvious how amazing they are. :) Thanks guys! I'll probably upload another chapter tonight because I feel like this one is lacking in action.**

Artemis scrutinized her. "Though I'm sure I'd be able to figure it out myself, I am interested to hear your theories. However simple-minded they might be."

He was making eye contact. That was all she needed. Avery had a knack for manipulating people to do what she wanted. Others never saw it coming, but her will was oftentimes irresistible.

"I just need one look at that book, and I'll be able to tell you everything you need to know." She said smoothly. She prayed that this would work.

Artemis merely laughed. "Do you really think I'm going to let you take all of the Book's secrets with you when you try to escape? Let's at least try to imagine that I'm not an idiot Ms. Cuccia."

Avery fought the urge to roll her eyes. "My offer is win-win Artemis. If I don't tell you what you need to know, you can have your body guard who's, by the way, mass to volume ratio is such that he could float in an area of pure nitrogen-dioxide, kill me.

He was trying so hard not to laugh, but it was short-lived. He began cracking up not only because of the true hilarity of the joke, but because of Butler's positively stupefied expression. How could he deny this girl her offer? She had won him over with science. Besides, he found it eerily pleasurable when she said his name.

Artemis made sure to regain his composure quickly before speaking. "Very well, you have five minutes to look over the Book. If you have not come up with a solution by then, Butler will have to forcefully remove you from the premises."

"Five minutes is all I need."

Avery soon found herself sweating over the pages as Butler turned them for her. This had been a plan to stall, and she had no idea if she could actually produce the answer Artemis was looking for. Seconds ticked by, then minutes, and although she read 5,000 words a minute, about 16x faster than the average person, she was starting to worry that she wouldn't be able to deliver on her promise.

There! Finally. Relief flooded the girl and she looked up excitedly to see Artemis's eyes, filled with amusement, studying her.

"Enjoying the view?" Avery murmured.

Artemis ignored her accusatory remark. "Can you really read that fast?"

"I could read faster, but I didn't want to miss anything."

"Interesting..."

A thick silence filled the air for a brief moment, and during that time Avery became self-consciously aware of the blood, sweat, and black eye-makeup that was smeared across her face.

"And...?" Artemis implied. Waiting for her to reveal her findings.

The small brunette took one more breath. "Untie me and I'll tell you."

Butler chuckled, but Artemis took both of them by surprise.

"Very well. Butler release her."

"But sir..." He was clearly still annoyed at the girl's surprise attack, and she couldn't really blame him considering the dark bruise beginning to show under his eye.

"I won't try to escape. I promise." Avery tried to sound convincing. Although Butler wasn't fooled, he began to untie her anyway.

"Thank you," the girl managed, massaging her wrists. Butler grunted in reply, and he was gifted with one of her signature eye rolls.

"Anyway," she said turning to Artemis. "There are specific rituals that every fairy must complete to restore his or her magic," she explained. Artemis nodded. Avery took this as her cue to continue. She flicked through the copy of the Book until she found the appropriate passage.

**"From the earth thine power flows, Given through courtesy, so thanks are owed. Pluck thou the magick seed, Where full moon, ancient oak and twisted water meet. And bury it far from where it was found, So return your gift into the ground."**

She closed the book. "Do you see?"

Butler and Juliet nodded in confusion, but Artemis spoke up. "The fairy is bound by certain rituals. We can use them to track one down."

Juliet raised her hand like a small child in school.

"Yes?"

"Artemis, the thing is, well the part about fairies." she said hesitantly. "You do know they're not real right?"

Avery saw Butler visibly wince, he obviously hadn't filled her in on the plan. Artemis's scowl deepened.

"Butler hasn't already talked to you about this?"

"No. Was he supposed to?"

"Yes, he certainly was. Perhaps he thought you'd laugh at him."

Butler fidgeted. _I'm sure that's exactly what he thought. I bet Juliet is the only person who would dare to laugh at him._ Avery thought.

Artemis cleared his throat. "Let us proceed under the assumption that I am not a gibbering moron, and the fairy folk really do exist."

Avery giggled before speaking up. "As I was saying, the People have to complete a certain ritual to replenish their power. According to my interpretation, which I assure you is the correct one, each fairy must pick a seed from an ancient oak tree by a river bend, and this can only be done during a full moon."

Finally, Butler began to comprehend, "So all we have to do..."

Avery cut him off. If she was going to convince Artemis to keep her alive, she had to persuade him that she was useful. "Is run a cross reference through the weather satellites, but I can tell you right now that there aren't that many ancient oaks left, if you take ancient to be a hundred years or more. When you factor in the river bend and full moon, there can't be more than one hundred and thirty possible sites."


	6. Look like the Innocent Flower

**A/N: MORE REVIEWS! MORE REVIEWS! Come on people I know you have it in you! :) Also, thanks again to Oblivious to the Obvious who so far has been the best reader ever!**

_"Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it." -Shakespeare's Macbeth_

There were one hundred and twenty-nine sites to be exact. Artemis had looked it up soon after their conversation. In the meantime Avery had been locked in one of the guest bedrooms. Juliet had brought her up some food, and Avery had spent the past hour taking full advantage of the adjoining bathroom's steam shower.

During that period of time however, it was apparent that Juliet had been shopping because there was two bags of new clothing on the bed that were exactly Avery's size. Nothing of course would be convenient in an escape attempt. All of the outfits consisted of short ruffled skirts and even shorter, lady-like dresses. They were beautiful, but she wasn't a doll. Avery had thought that Juliet, more than anyone else, would have understood the need for functional clothing.

She picked out the simplest skirt to wear. The only one that didn't make her feel like vomiting, it was made of white cotton and had floral eyelet around the hemline that fell about three and half inches above her knee. She grabbed a v-neck sweater that matched her eyes to go along with it.

At least she had gotten all the dirt and grime off her face, and she had taken out the braid that she normally wore when she was working, so her hair was beginning to dry into her normal wavy locks.

She heard the footsteps outside the door before she saw the doorknob twist. Perhaps she could incapacitate whoever it was and make a run for it. She readied herself for attack, but when Artemis was the one to walk in the room, she put her fists down. She wouldn't kill him. At least not yet. Not while he was still useful to her.

He took one look at her fighting stance and said, "Relax, Avery. I think we can come to some sort of an agreement here."

Truth was, even that sentence was hard to get out. If the captive girl was beautiful before when her face was splattered with blood and sweat, she was stunning now. Artemis forced his features to remain unruffled, but it was hard to think that this girl, who looked like such a predator just a couple of hours previous, now looked so small and pure. Her skin was scrubbed clean and he could see that she was actually very fair, though the sun, which she spent time in on surveillance missions he was sure, had given her a healthy glow. One that he himself lacked. Her features were now clearly visible, and he realized how they really didn't look much alike after all. Her delicate Greek nose and soft, full, pink lips couldn't be more contrary to his sharp vampiric features. _Remember, Artemis, she's a hunter. Stay on your toes, _he had to remind himself.

"I'm waiting." She said.

"I have come to the conclusion, that for at least this present time, my mission will be much more successful if I have you on board."

"_Your_ mission?"

"Yes, Avery. _My_ mission. Granted I'm sure we could work out some sort of reward for you, but keep in mind you're not exactly in a position to negotiate."

Avery smirked, and her smug smile reminded Artemis that she wasn't as innocent as her looks portrayed. She closed the distance between them, and as much as Artemis wanted to back away. He had to show her he was the dominant one in this situation, so he held his ground. She came within two inches of his lips before she whispered, "Or I could snap your neck right here."

Artemis couldn't hold back a loud swallow, but Avery backed away first. That annoying smirk still plastered on her face.

"Charming," he said, "Fine then. Name your price, but nothing unreasonable, I'm sure Butler won't hesitate to return your threat, especially after that black eye you gave him."

"On the other hand," he continued. "Your IQ is rather impressive, not to mention your training in the field and knowledge and belief in fairy culture. Of course your intelligence isn't quite necessary what with my own being what it is."

"Oh please," Avery exaggerated, "I've read your contribution to _The Psychologist's Journal_, and although I'll commend you on your humorous choice of a pseudonym, I wasn't that impressed with your research. Sorry."

Artemis fumed silently. He was used to being insulted, after all he wasn't exactly personable, but he was certainly not accustomed to having his intelligence attacked.

Avery continued. "I want in on this mission. Not only because, although it pains me to admit it, you and the Butlers would be helpful resources, but because I have a lot at stake here too. What I'm after is none of your business, however I will help myself to 45% of your profit."

"20%"

"40%"

"25%"

"35% final offer." Avery contended.

"Deal." He could always deal with her later if he decided not to split the gold after all.

"So when do we go on stakeout?" asked Avery with a smile.

Butler peeked his head through the door. He had been eavesdropping the whole time, to make sure nothing went awry, and now the girl was finally speaking his language. Artemis walked over to him.

"There are preparations to be made for our guest's arrival," he said, handing a typewritten sheet of A4 to the manservant. "These alterations must be made to the cellar. Give that to Juliet and have her see to it that it is done. To the letter."

"Yes, Artemis."

"Good. Now, there are several items you will need to procure for our moonlight jaunts."

Butler scanned the sheet: basic field equipment, a few eyebrow raisers, nothing too puzzling until...

"Sunglasses? At night?"

When Artemis smiled, as he did now, one almost expected vampire fangs to sprout from his gums.

"Yes, Butler. Sunglasses. Trust me."

And Avery could see that Butler did. Implicitly. She finally also knew what Artemis's plan of action was. They were plotting a kidnapping.


	7. Too Strong for Stockholm Syndrome

**_A/N So I'm not particularly fond of this chapter, but I thought it necessary to include some details about what happened during the months of stakeout that Avery lived with the Fowls. Next chapter will get back to the real action I promise! Also, the only thing that's been really keeping me going has been Oblivious to the Obvious's reviews. You're amazing and I thank you so much! You deserve some kind of medal or reward! Please review guys!_**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Artemis Fowl series! Give that thanks to Eoin Colfer. I merely created the character of Avery.**

The trio spent four months on stakeout. Even Butler, the consummate professional, was beginning to dread the long nights of dampness and insect bites. He didn't understand how Avery not only seemed completely unbothered by it, but she might actually have enjoyed it. _What kind of teenage girl is this?_ Butler found himself wondering. _She's even stranger than Juliet._

When they weren't on stakeout usually Avery was spending her time in her room, reading books, or doing whatever it was that girls like her do. If there even were any other girls like her.

Artemis had tried to keep his mother and her state a secret from the other teen for as long as possible, but the charade hadn't lasted long. Within two weeks he stumbled upon Avery sitting on his mother's bed talking to her. It was far from a normal conversation of course. Angeline Fowl was whispering about things that crawled around her in the dead of night. Imaginary things obviously, but Avery just nodded and agreed with her, "Angeline, you must fight them. You can't let them win. Be strong. They can only hurt you if you let them," she said.

Artemis was furious. As soon as Avery was out of the room he began to shout. "Stay away from my mother Cuccia. You have no idea what is going on, and how do you think she's supposed to get better when you keep reinforcing her little fantasies!" The pretty girl remained unaffected. "Artemis," Avery started, slowly, cautiously. "She's ill, and right now she just needs to hear that somebody understands." Nevertheless, Artemis forbade her from entering the room again. Yet, the next day, when his mother requested that Avery come and play piano for her, Artemis couldn't help but give in to her wish. How could he begrudge her anything?

That is when they all learned that, along with her linguistic and combat skills, Avery was also a skilled pianist. She sat in that dark bedchamber for hours playing Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and even a few original scores all from memory. It didn't stop Mrs. Fowl's temper tantrums or breakdowns altogether, but she tended to stay relatively calm when Avery was there whispering soothing words or singing gently.

Artemis never entered the room when the girl spent time with his mother. Instead, he chose to sit outside the door to listen to their mumblings and the music. He was happy that his mother seemed to be feeling at least a little better, but at the same time he was jealous that he wasn't the one providing the relief.

He couldn't wrap his mind around why Avery wanted to help in the first place. Granted it was lonely in the house, but it seemed as though she craved more than just the company from the deteriorating, half-crazed woman. She actually seemed to enjoy spending time with his mother, even preferring her company to his own or either of the Butlers'. Perhaps, she was just equally crazy and found a kindred soul in the half-sane woman.

Regardless of Avery's sanity, she had proven her intelligence as the months went by. Giving helpful insights to their fairy research, she could hack even the most secure computer network in a matter of minutes, and she'd published almost as many papers to academic journals as Artemis himself. In fact, the only time Artemis and she talked outside of their "work" was when the boy got frustrated or irritable with common people, and would go to speak with someone who could match his wit. He could usually find her practicing her combat and weaponry skills or studying textbooks alone in her room. The girl held an obsession for knowledge and perfection that was surprising even to Artemis.

That's not to say that living with Avery was altogether pleasant. She swore too vulgarly for Artemis's taste, and with such frequency that he had a hard time not reprimanding her to be more lady-like. Not to mention that she rarely ever smiled, unless it was that closed-mouth smirk that she liked to show off when she proved herself right about something. Butler would always point out that neither did Artemis, much to the latter's dislike. Along, with the swearing and smirking, was the sarcasm. She was so incredibly witty, that she hardly took anything seriously, instead preferring to underline other's mistakes with quick and cutting mockery. And needless to say, Artemis was NOT used to being mocked.

Butler was right to conclude that Avery was unique. On every night that there was a full moon, she remained silently vigilant at Butler and Artemis's sides. She was more focused and well-trained than many of the professionals Butler knew. He didn't know how she wasn't bored with it by now. It was always the same. They would crouch in their foil-lined blind in complete silence, Butler repeatedly checking his equipment, while Artemis and Avery stared unblinkingly through the eye of the scope. At times like these, nature seemed deafening in their confined space. Butler longed to whistle, to make conversation, anything to break the unnatural silence. But the two teenager's concentration was absolute. Neither would tolerate any interference or lapse of focus. This was business.

Tonight they were in the Southeast. The most inaccessible site yet. Butler had been forced to make three trips to the jeep in order to hump the equipment across a stile, a bog, and two fields. Avery had tried to help, even though she was small she was strong, but her minute size prevented her from carrying very much at a time. Now both of their boots and pants had been ruined, and they would have to sit in the blind with ditchwater soaking into the seat of their pants. Artemis had somehow contrived to remain spotless.

The blind was ingenious in design and interest had already been expressed in the manufacturing rights-mostly by military representatives, but Artemis had resolved to sell the patent to a sporting goods multinational. It was constructed of an elasticated foil polymer on a multi-hinged fiberglass skeleton. The foil, similar to that used by NASA, trapped the heat inside the structure while preventing the camouflaged outside surface from overheating. This ensured that any animals sensitive to heat would be unaware of its presence. The hinges meant that the blind would move almost like a liquid, filling whatever depression it was dropped into. Instant shelter and vantage point. You simply placed the Velcroed bag in a hole and pulled the string.

But all the cleverness in the world couldn't improve the atmosphere. Something was troubling Artemis. It was plain in the web of premature lines that spread from the corners of his deep blue eyes.

After several nights of fruitless surveillance, Avery plucked up enough courage to ask...

"Artemis," she began hesitantly, "I realize it's not my place, and we're not exactly friends, and you probably don't trust me, and I certainly don't trust you..."

"Avery."

"Right. Sorry. It's just that I realize there's something wrong. And if there's anything I can do to help...I'm not offering out of any form of personal attachment. I just need you to keep your mind on the job." She added the last part in hurriedly. She certainly wasn't going to start suffering from any brand of Stockholm Syndrome now.

Artemis didn't speak for several moments. He didn't trust the girl obviously. And he would go to his grave before admitting any sort of attachment to her, but he felt for some reason that what was bothering him, was bothering her too, and that maybe she actually cared.

"It's my mother, Avery," he said at last. "I'm beginning to wonder if she'll ever-"

Then the proximity alarm flashed red.


End file.
